The Values Workshop

Somewhere there are two words used in this episode, 'Compassionate communication'. Something within me went quiet and totally at peace  relating to this phrase and many other paths it led to. We spoke of parenting, dealing with each other's growing spaces and not knowing what  lies ahead, problems and much more. A deeply introspective take on many  things can be heard here. Don't mi...

Being introspective about the simplest things in life is hardly easy,  and when you have a couple doing it together, then the questions get really interesting. In this conversation, we land up talking about many  things, starting with the loaded question, 'Who are you?'. If I thought it would trip my guests, it didn't. They laughed and answered me  differently - and I could see the...

So much happens in this conversation - I talk about finding the middle  path in the area of mainstream education and our guests continue to  explain how not every lesson needs to be taught. We also chat about how  to discuss our problems with kids (you read that right!) and allow their  wisdom to guide us. Their lack of filters helps their honesty shine on  the solutions w...

In this conversation we have two teachers who talk about teaching  methodology in a passionate, humbling, informative and 'unsure' but  clear manner. Confusing? On the contrary, it is their clear mind which  reflects openly on parts they are still 'learning', their ability to  live with moments of rewiring themselves and the ability to hold an  independent world view, even...

Some of the best lessons are intent and observation based. It is not as  hands-free an approach as we think. It seems to work well for our  teachers here - who have the patience to wait for the learners to rasp  the lessons on their own. This sense of ownership towards knowledge goes  beyond information. What a fascinating chat this is. Do check out the  last part here. Fo...

It takes a lot of hard work, discipline and an immense amount of effort  to achieve anything substantial. Right? Well, our teacher-guests seem to  have a different point of view here. They think it is not necessary to  force learning - unless it is absolutely required. They run a school and  often interact with parents - so quite a few methods of discussion,  points of vie...

In the first part of this episode, we talk to two educators who decided  they wanted to offer an alternative way of learning. And, well, they are  teachers through and through. They answer all my questions with  patience and extreme clarity. The fun part is, not only are the  questions unscripted, the answers seem un-texbook-like too. We discuss  parenting, education, outl...

The journey of exploring the path of knowledge continues with this part.  Among many things I found fascinating, the part where our guest talks  about the rubik cube example, the goal setting and the variables which  go along with the results, seemed right on top. But even more than that,  I found myself loving the intersection of science and inner search  merging seamless...

It is rare to have an episode where I am so entranced by the guest's  answers that I have to think up questions with more deliberation than  always. This chat covers curiosity, knowledge, exploration, the present  system of education, the attempt of our guest to see it from a different  view-point, explanation into the what and the why of learning and  creating an ambience...

The security of knowledge is a happy one since we have control over things - or so it seems. Our guest pulls the rug from under my feet when he explains the need to do away with control or being sure of knowledge. He specifies that understanding is a continuous process and you do not arrive at a final goal or purpose. Scary? Well, for me, it was a happy chat. Check out the last part. For more vide...

When asked to describe himself, 'I love to inquire life and understand Nature, in different variations.' That in a line, is what this conversation is about. We explore ways of thought, understanding of things and words, and seem to flow easily from one query to another.  The answers I get are anything but usual, and yet they are so ordinary that I am forced to laugh at their simplicity and de...

In this conversation, we talk about the courage one needs to acknowledge  one's vulnerability. The times when we feel exposed to ideas, events, people which we had not planned for - or, if we did, they have turned  out different than what we were ready for, are the times which check our worth, our value system and our core. Our guest uses a term 'moments of  shattering' and how life...

Our guest uses the word 'sadness' a couple of times, but strangely, it seems to be a positive in the way she uses it. She talks about negative  as a necessity to understand the 'whole experience'. She speaks of introspection in a way seldom spoken. It is a beautiful reminder of the  depth of learning and wisdom which lie within experiences which may  challenge us, shake us, provoke...

A practical chat about a corporate professional who went off the rid to teach Mathematics to the underprivileged. It is inspiring to know such stories, but we decided to go behind the story and understand the mind of this individual who has been walking his chosen path for many years now and continues to do so with a sense of ease. We could all learn from this. Motivating conversation, this. Do ch...

She has done things as per convention - graduated, got a successful  banking job, started a family and is now a homemaker. But what I find  unconventional - and she might disagree is her approach to life. It is  simply a journey of seeking. She seems to be in the self-inquiry mode  more often than not. It is a beautiful chat... impromptu but not superficial, quickly arranged bu...

We speak to a young professional about dealing with many issues which challenge value systems. @richa_schoudhary has a wise head on her shoulders and discusses her beliefs, and the strength she gets from her trust. She speaks about her reading different sources of information and spirituality, which inspire her to walk her chosen path. A fascinating chat, this. Check it out. For more videos, check...

Often, when we are in the thick of things, we forget the bigger picture. This part of the chat covers the perspective change. We discuss what happens when a microbiologist decides to become part of the entertainment industry, how does the connect happen for her between two hugely different fields. We also converse about how things are done by us, and yet they sometimes seem to happen on their own....

We are back after a short break - and what a start this is, with this fantastic episode. We have an Event Manager with an academic background in Microbiology. This is however only the tip of the iceberg. As she shares her thoughts, I realised there is so much depth one can have when tackling with regular issues at work. Systems have their place, and I probe her on what happens when they don't work...

Life does not go according to plan. But here we have a guest who tries to be prepared and structured more often than not. She chooses her words carefully as I probe into her mind, trying to understand how things  work - or not - for her. She is honest enough to admit life trips her too, but also goes to explain how people around her, loved ones and  others influence her, as much as her o...

This conversation has us probing the mind of a clear-headed, determined young man, who is discovering his place in the world. He talks about his aspirations, his generation, his outlook of the differences between the last generation and the present one, his sense of ethics and things he would perhaps never do. What a time to be young! What a thought-provoking way with words our guest has, and abov...

Our professions demand the most of us, in time, attention and effort.  Yet, the person we are remains the same - demanding acknowledgement,  respect, credit. This might involve being heard, understood and  accepted. Our guest is a HR professional from Iran, but what she speaks  about is as human and universal as it gets. She talks about truth,  careers, difficulties at wor...

We discuss wisdom, its responsibility, the idea of dealing with normal - and what is 'normal', surrender, the adjusting to the lack of control, our guest's way of dealing with difficult situations, the importance of  self-seeking through your experiences, understanding your body and being  sensitive to its signs, the concept of labels given to experiences for easy identification. What an...

We talk about fear, lack of control, anxiety, the presence of an 'all-good' energy, our understanding of personal history and how it impacts us. We also discuss how we have so many personas in our own selves - and which one is the complete picture. Our guest is pursuing a doctorate on a subject which is close to this thought process. He discusses good, bad and whatever other ideas which arise in t...

This is one of the deeper discussions we have had on the podcast. The  guest has free-flowing and simple, yet fairly deep answers to the questions, allowing me the liberty to ask questions which I cannot ask  easily. We talk about the need to have a self-image of sorts, the need  to compartmentalise knowledge, zen, a subject called 'othering', where  we look at the divisions am...

Our guest takes us through his journey of slowing things down, leaving a good position in the USA, and coming back home to find a changed scenario. He talks about his family, his friends, the lack of  vindication, changing homes across nations among other things. What a thought-provoking conversation, this is. For more videos, check www.youtube.com/c/thevaluesworkshop